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Communicable diseases

Antiphospholipid Syndrome in HIV and Hepatitis C Patients: Characterized Symptoms Revealed in Recent Study

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Researchers in Spain have identified the symptoms associated with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) in patients with chronic viral infections, such as hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. A study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases analyzed the clinical features of 82 patients with APS, revealing a range of symptoms, including avascular bone necrosis, peripheral thrombosis, and cutaneous necrosis.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study included 82 patients with APS, with 45 having chronic HCV infection, 32 having HIV infection, and 5 having HCV-HIV coinfection.
  • The main features of APS were avascular bone necrosis (20 patients), peripheral thrombosis (17), thrombocytopenia (15), neurologic features (13), cardiac manifestations (12), pulmonary embolism (9), gastrointestinal manifestations (8), and cutaneous manifestations (8).
  • In HCV-infected patients, the main APS-related features were intra-abdominal thrombosis and myocardial infarction, whereas in HIV-infected patients, the main features were avascular bone and cutaneous necrosis.
  • The researchers suggested that viruses like HCV and HIV might act as chronic triggering agents that induce an atypical presentation of APS.

Statistics:

  • 20 patients had avascular bone necrosis.
  • 17 patients had peripheral thrombosis.
  • 15 patients had thrombocytopenia.
  • 13 patients had neurologic features.
  • 12 patients had cardiac manifestations.
  • 9 patients had pulmonary embolism.
  • 8 patients had gastrointestinal manifestations.
  • 8 patients had cutaneous manifestations.
  • 5 patients had HCV-HIV coinfection.

Sources:

  • Ramos-Casals, M., et al. "Clinical features related to antiphospholipid syndrome in patients with chronic viral infections (Hepatitis C virus/HIV infection): Description of 82 cases." Clinical Infectious Diseases, vol. 38, no. 7, 2004, pp. 1009-1016.

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